Worry
by OTHFiction
Summary: The threat of losing Bill causes Zoey to think about her feelings for the old war veteran. Rated T for safety.


I noticed there is a disappointing lack of Bill/Zoey romance stories, So I decided to write my own.

_Where the __**Hell**__ is he?_ Zoey thought, staring hard at the safe house door, like it had the answers.

She was worried. While the group was moving between safe houses they'd been attacked by a horde. In the rush to get to the safe house Zoey hadn't been paying attention to who was with them and who wasn't, survival became the top priority.

It wasn't until they were in the safe house that they noticed Bill wasn't with them.

Zoey immediately went into panic mode.

"How could you just leave him out there?" Zoey questioned Francis, grabbing onto his vest.

"Excuse me, I was a little more worried about myself." Francis spat back, pushing his hands away. "Besides, I didn't see you stopping to save him."

Zoey wanted to say something back, but knew he was right. She was at fault as much as the others, with that revelation she turned her back on him and rushed towards the door.

"Whoa Zoey, now I'm worried about Bill as much as you, but maybe we shouldn't rush back out there.." Louis attempted to reason with the young college student, standing in front of the safe house door.

"But if we don't look for him he might not come back!" Zoey exclaimed, pleading with the former analyst.

"Yeah, but if you go out there you might not come back. Listen, let's just wait. I'm sure he'll be knocking on that door any second now." Louis reassured her. Zoey sighed in frustration and fell back against the wall facing the door, sinking to the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, squeezing them closer.

And that's where she sat for 5 minutes…

10 minutes…

15 minutes…

_Damn it Bill! Where __**are**__ you?_ Zoey thought again. Zoey wanted to think that she was so worried because he was her friend, be she knew better. She knew her feelings for the old war veteran were stronger then just mere friendship. She loved him. She loved everything about him. His gruff voice. His beautiful blue eyes. The way he always put the team before himself. The fact that he survived two wars, a knee full of shrapnel, and can still fight through a zombie apocalypse. She could still remember when she first realized her feelings for the man.

-!-

_The survivors were recovering in the safe house, with Bill was relaxing on a couch when Zoey came over and sat next to him._

_"Hey" She greeted_

_"Hey." he responded, taking a drag from his cigarette._

_Zoey frowned. "You know, you really should stop that."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because it's unhealthy. You could die." She exclaimed._

_"There's a lot of things I could die from, and a cigarette is the last thing I'm worried about." Bill explained, taking the last drag from his cigarette before tossing it."Don't you worry Zoey, you can't get rid of me that easily." He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder._

_"Aw, to bad." She responded teasingly._

_"Hey, watch it." Bill laughed._

_Zoey laughed and looked at Bill, noticing the way his eyes lit up when he laughed._

_**I wonder what it'd be like to kiss him**__ She thought, and immediately froze at her own thoughts. __**What the hell, where did that come from? Did I just think of kissing Bill? That was out of nowhere.**_

_Bill looked over to see Zoey staring at him. "Is something wrong Zoey?" Zoey's face turned 3 different shades of crimson as she looked away, laughing nervously._

_"Sorry Bill, kinda got lost in my own thoughts." Zoey rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, I think I'll turn in early."_

_"Alright, goodnight." Bill said, looking at her quizzically, but didn't question her._

_Getting up, Zoey left to the adjoining room. She laid on one of the cots, and turned her back to face the door, face towards the wall._

_**Why did I think of kissing Bill?**__ Zoey thought. __**Sure he's not exactly bad looking. Okay, he's actually more handsome then most of the guys I've dated. But still, I don't even have those type of feelings for him.**__ She turned to face the ceiling. __**Well, maybe I might have a small crush on him. But it's nothing big, it'll probably go away soon.**_

_She again rolls over, face in the pillow, arms crossed underneath. __**But I've had crushes before, and they felt nothing like the way I feel for Bill.**__ She sighs. __**Okay, it's more then just a crush, but if it's not a crush, then what it it? Love? Am I in love with Bill?**__ She pushed her face deeper into the pillow. __**Maybe.**_

_**I do love somethings about him. I love his eyes. I love it when he worries about me due to the smallest things. I love his no bullshit attitude. Also, again, he's really handsome. Aw, who am I kidding, I love the old man.**__ This revelation brought about another train of thought, with Zoey turning back onto her back._

**_But how do I tell him?_**

-!-

She never actually figured that part out. And now she's mentally kicking herself for not telling Bill about her feelings for him.

_I swear, when he comes back I'll tell him exactly how I feel. If he comes back._ She shakes the thought out of her head. _No, he is coming back, I just know it. He has to. But what if he doesn't? __**NO**__, stop thinking that way! I'm sure he'll be knocking on that door any sec-_

***KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK***

"Hey let me-" the sound of Bill's voice brought Zoey to her feet, with speeds that could rival a hunter, and she swung the door open. There was Bill, safe, if not slightly injured.

"Hey." He greeted her, before almost tumbling over with how fast she threw her arms around him. "Whoa kiddo," He chuckled, "I missed you too, but let's wait till we're inside the safe house before we celebrate."

"Oh, right, sorry." Zoey said, pulling away from him, but still standing close. They both entered the safe house, and the moment the door was shut again, Zoey's arms were right back around Bill, her face buried in his shoulder.

"I was so worried about you." Zoey said, though slightly muffled due to her face being in his shoulder.

"Sorry." He responded, returning her embrace.

_You said you'd tell him how you feel when he came back. Well he's back, tell him!_ Zoey thought to herself, mentally preparing for the awkward conversation to come.

"mm mff mu." Zoey mumbled into his shoulder.

"What did you say, I couldn't hear you" Bill said, as he leaned closer and strained to hear her.

"mm mff mu!" Zoey said a little louder, but not loud enough. Bill sighed and gently pushed her away just enough to look her in the eye.

"One more time." Zoey looked away and sighed.

_Here we go._ Zoey thought before turning back to face Bill. The man she loved. Who she hoped loved her as well.

"I-" She tried but her throat suddenly went dry. She cleared her throat before trying again. "I-" again her throat dried and she coughed to try and clear it again.

_Come on Zoey, you can do this!_ Zoey thought. Looking back up at Bill her throat finally cooperates enough for her to say what she's wanted to say for so long:

"I love you Bill."

Zoey immediately felt a weight leave her shoulders in relief. I did it! Zoey thought, I finally told him! But the weight slowly returned when Bill just stared at her with a face of pure shock.

"Bill?" Zoey asked, as worry wormed its way into her mind. _He probably doesn't feel the same way. And now you've ruined one of the greatest relationships you've ever had. Nice going._

Bill shook himself out of his daze. "Sorry, I was kinda caught off guard." He said with a small awkward smile.

"I's understandable." Zoey went to move out his arms, be he stopped her.

"Listen Zoey I-"

"Bill, you don't have to explain. You don't feel the same way, it's fine. I'm not forcing you to return my feelings." Zoey turned her back on Bill. "I'm gonna turn in early." As Zoey went to leave Bill grabbed her arms from behind and turned her around to face him.

"Now listen to me. I care for you Zoey, I really do. But-" Bill began before he cleared his throat. "But I'm so much older then you."

"I don't care about that Bill," Zoey exclaimed, resting her hand on his chest. "As long as it's you, I don't care." Bill sighed again.

"Yeah but-"

"No."

Bill looked up at Zoey questionably "Huh?"

"No more buts Bill, I want you to tell me right now, do you love me or not. If not then that's okay, I won't hold it against you. But if you do , well I'd love to try and make it work with you. So, which is it?" Zoey demanded.

Bill stared down at his feet it thought for a while. While Zoey may have looked calm on the outside, she was freaking out on the inside, thinking of all the possibility's of what he could answer with. While she was thinking, Bill wrapped his arms around her and brought his lips to hers.

When they separated he smiled at her as he said. "I love you too Zoey."

Zoey could see some relief on his features as well, as if this was bothering him just as much as it did her. Zoey tried to stay calm, but failed miserably as her face split into a wide grin before throwing her arms around him again and he raised her in the air. She pulled away and connected her lips with his. Bill's shock only lasted half a second before he returned the kiss. He slowly lowered her back to the floor, lips still connected.

Unfortunately their air supply ran low, so they had to part, but just enough to keep their foreheads touching.

"I love you Zoey." Bill told her. Those words flooded her entire being with warmth, especially her cheeks.

A giant smile formed on her face. "I love you, too." Zoey responded before kissing him again.

"Okay, that's enough with the kissing!" Francis yelled from the doorway of the next room, causing Bill and Zoey to separate.

"How long have you been standing there?" Zoey asked, rubbing her arm in embarrassment.

"Enough to know Bill is a cradle robber and you're a grave robber." Francis teased, before his smile turned warm. "But I would like to say, I am happy for you guys."

"Thanks Francis." Bill acknowledged, a small smile on his face.

"But don't keep us up with all the dirty sex you guys are going to have. Goodnight!" Francis said quickly before ducking out the room.

"Damn it Francis!" Bill shouted,as Francis's laugh could be heard from the next room "Idiot." he muttered.

Zoey yawned. "I'm tired, too. Come on, let's go to our cot."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Our? Those cots can barley hold one of us. How do you expect it to hold 2?"

Zoey smiled, running a finger up his chest. "I guess we'll just have to get really close to fit."

Bill laughed, and offered his arm. "Shall we m' lady?" Zoey laughed and hooked her arm in his.

"We shall." Zoey played along, then leaned up and kissed him again. "I love you."

Bill quickly kissed her back. "I love you, too."

It's gonna take some work, but I know we can do this. As long as we still have each other, then it'll all be fine. Zoey thought, truly believing her own thoughts. Then, arm in arm, they left to the bed room.


End file.
